This invention relates generally to the field of medical inhalers, and specifically to inhalers fitted with extended breathing tubes and face masks for children and adults.
It has been found that an extension of the traditional inhaler will result in a better misted inhalant and more effective treatment of asthmatic attacks and other bronchial distress. Further, to ensure proper inhalation, especially in infants, breathing masks have been found to be more effective than traditional inhalers.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,412 (Nowacki et al.) discloses an extended cylinder attachment to a standard inhaler. U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,692 (Nowacki et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,015 (Nowacki et al.) develop that concept further and introduce pediatric masks for attachment to extended breathing cylinders.
Typically, these breathing masks have different sizes of connectors to the inhaler extension depending on the function of the mask, that is whether the mask is for a child or an adult. Because of the different sizes of connectors, a single standard inhaler extension may not be used. Different extensions are required for different masks. U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,803 (Foley et al.) discloses a modular medication inhaler that may be manufactured with several different outlet ends depending on which mask will be attached to the extension.
The present invention is a mask adaptor ring that allows connection of the extended tube outlet to adult- and child-sized masks. The inventor knows of no such device in the prior art.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a single mask adaptor ring that will allow connection of either a children's or an adult's mask to the extended cylindrical breathing tube.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a mask adaptor ring that may be connected to any size outlet in an extended breathing tube.